Reunion of Heroes
by FlowerofAdversity
Summary: Alba rejoins the group, as well as another Merb named Crow, who later becomes her boyfriend.  In the final battle of the Cyclonians vs the Storm Hawks, which side will be victorious ?


Reunion of Heroes

Note: Another SH fan-fiction. Alba is now 13 and decides she wants to join the Storm Hawks. Of course, she has to undergo some rather vigorous tests before she can be deemed "worthy", but Stork already knows a lady of her caliber is more than worthy to be considered a Storm Hawk in any event or situation. Atmos is still under the iron grasp of the Talons and Master Cyclonis, but the final battle will hopefully change all that. Also a possible romance between Alba and a rather humorous, laid back turquoise Merb by the name of Crow might just blossom.

"There are two wolves fighting in every man's heart. One is love, the other is hate."--Starfire

"Which one wins ?"—Ghost

"The one you feed the most."—Starfire, Pathfinder

Chapter 1—Free Bird

"Mom, Dad…I know you're both sad, but please don't worry about me.", Alba said, sweetly as she hugged both of her tearful parents goodbye.

"We realize that, Alba, but you've been such a wonderful gift to us both.", Avian responded as her daughter wiped her mother's lovely eyes. Stratus was just about as choked up with the departure of his daughter as well. It took a lot of courage to want to join a group as well known and revered as the Storm Hawks, but Alba had _known_ them personally since birth.

It was like she was returning to her true origin. She couldn't just avoid her natural homing instinct. Her parents knew this as well as any Merb that she couldn't ignore instinct and her original home back at Storm Hawk hangar was "calling" to her. Of course they would miss her but they knew she was ready to undertake this new journey. They supported her in her decision with all of their being, and were certain she could persevere through any circumstance.

Alba packed what provisions she needed as well as a makeshift combat suit that she had sewed painstakingly by hand. It would be a long journey to the hangar, but Alba had been a survivalist. She wasn't going to let the elements get the best of her. With one final enthusiastic wave to her parents, Stratus and Avian, she left them as the dust made it more difficult for her to see them or for them to see her. It was nothing more than a typical dust storm, and she could wage her way through it without any difficulties. The journey would grow more difficult as she trudged on, but her life's dream waited for her in the distance.

Chapter 2—Purchasing "The Dragonfly"

Alba had traveled long by foot in torrid weather. The heat was starting to get to her, but she had brought enough water to quench her thirst along the way. She was conservative in drinking it, only taking what she needed when thirst overwhelmed her. Along her travels she met many desert travelers going here and there, doing business, and going about their typical lives. She could hear the sound of society in the distance, which would be half a day's travel, would be welcome rest before she took the rest of her journey to her true home. Hopefully, she would be able to purchase some type of flying transport there with the money she had been saving up fixing gliders for cash in her parents' garage.

It was a bit cooler at night, but Alba found the coolness comforting. She hadn't seen other Merbs, but strangely, she was about to meet one that would change her world entirely. As she dreamed, she could see her first parents in her mind's eye. She was very excited about meeting them again, so much that she could barely keep her eyes closed. But with her steady breathing pattern and the fact that the trek through the desert had been rough, her tiredness overruled the energy swirling in her heart and kept her calm and rested. Yet, as soon as the roosters began crowing in the background, she bolted up, packed up her belongings and started walking towards the small civilization.

"Hello, traveler. What can I do for you ?", a young, rather well groomed turquoise Merb questioned. His voice was deep, mellifluous, and slightly mysterious. He was dressed in leather, with buckles on his boots and spiked gloves. There was a streak of red in his long, raven hair, which at the end, was tied into an elegant queue. There was an air of mysticism about him as well. He studied the pristine white Merb with much fascination. Alba blushed profoundly and tittered bashfully.

"Ah, I am Alba, Sir. I was wondering if I could purchase that glider you are working on. It's exactly what I need to get to where I am going.", Alba said, smiling. She was impressed with the design. It reminded her of the gliders the Storm Hawks had, but much more streamlined, lighter, and sturdier.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Alba. I'm Crow. I am honored you find my ride suitable.", Crow said, with a glimmering smile. She was curious as to how he had arrived there and what he was doing so far from home.   
"Why are you out here in the middle of nowhere ?", the two asked in unison, and laughed heartily, their hands unsuspectingly touched one another's. They both blushed and she gestured for him to begin. He chuckled again.

"I wish to travel Atmos, and learn all that I can. One day I wish to become a teacher, helping whomever I find along the way.", Crow said, his golden eyes twinkling.

"A very admirable path, Crow. I am returning to my first family, the Storm Hawks. I would build my own transportation, but I have no resources of my own. That is why I want to buy yours. I hope that you don't mind.", Alba said, feeling a little awkward, seeing as that transport was probably his only way of getting around this arid region.

"It's alright. I'll let you have it. I can always build another one. There's a bizarre close by, and I can always haggle with what I have to trade.", he said, with a soft grin and patted her hand. She blushed again, her heart palpitating quickly.

"Thank you, Crow. You are too generous.", Alba said, falling more and more for him.

"For a beautiful woman…", Crow said, giving her a playful wink.

"I hope I can see you again. For now, it's goodbye. Be well, friend Crow.", Alba said, patting his hand gently and starting up the glider. She had named her "The Dragonfly" because she had always loved dragonflies and what they symbolized. Her life had just begun an important metamorphosis. She would come out of it even stronger, more beautiful and sharper than before. She held the memory of Crow within her heart, not knowing their paths would cross again someday.

Chapter 3—Return to the Hangar

It was a lengthy flight to the Hangar, but she could sense her family was home, enjoying a dinner together. Her stomach was grumbling and she had some rations left to stymie her hunger, at least for a while. There was a big metal knocker on the hangar door and she knocked repeatedly as she had in the past, wondering if any of the Hawks had remembered that knock from her youth. Much to her surprise, Stork was the first to open the hangar and welcomed her in with a tear-stained smile upon his face. As soon as she parked the Dragonfly and dismounted he rushed toward her with open arms and lifted her up, laughing.

"Alba, I knew you would return !", he said, sobbing happily. She dried his eyes and kissed his cheek.

"Daddy, you know I could never forget you…", she said, and was surprised by Radaar crawling up her arm and rubbing against her cheek affectionately. Then a great burst of excitement and clamor occurred. The rest of the Hawks had heard the commotion and hustled to see who their guest was.

"Hey, it's li'l Alba ! You've really grown !", Junko said, giving her a gigantic hug. She could hardly breathe.

"I missed you too, Junko, but easy on my ribs !", she added, chuckling and being surrounded by all of her friends. They sat down to talk and enjoy a lovely and filling meal, catching up on the recent events in their lives. The battle against the Cyclonians was still fierce, but the Hawks had friends on their sides which helped them out immensely.

"You remember the Absolute Zeros ?", Piper asked, remembering the many adventures they had experienced with them in the past. Alba nodded. She had recalled how funny Trenny was and how the boys were always trying to impress her.

"So, after all these years, you've come back to us. It's good to have you back among the flock.", Aerrow stated, proudly, patting her shoulder. Initially she would have to undergo some trials to see how worthy she was of being a Storm Hawk, but all of them, particularly Stork, knew that she was perfectly capable of acing any test or overcoming any challenge set in front of her.

Stork would do all of the training himself, and besides, it would be stupendous to have another mechanic on board who could work at lightning speed.

Chapter 4—Interrupted By Cyclonis

As Alba was undergoing a series of rather in-depth tests involving obstacles and strategy, the Cyclonians had begun attacking some helpless villagers for crystals that were supposedly hidden within the area. The natural resources were used as energy for the towns booming industrial culture, but the crystals themselves could be dangerous if combined with one another. That is exactly what Cyclonis had wanted them for. With the nitroglycerin crystals, she could blast the city to smithereens and by the time she had destroyed it, she could rebuild it anyway she chose. But, her plans would have to wait since the Storm Hawks were in town, right on schedule.

"I already know you are more than capable of being a Storm Hawk.", Stork said, even though there were only a few more tests to be run before Alba was "official".

"Even though we didn't finish, dad ?", she asked, curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes ! Of course. I wouldn't say it if it weren't true. You are stellar !", Stork complimented her, patting her on the back. She couldn't _wait_ to become part of the action and help where she was needed. Unlike her father, who liked to sit battles out in the Condor, Alba was more of a fighter and quite skilled in combat.

The Hawks scrambled to their vehicles and soared into combat against the Cyclonians. Cyclonis waited back at her hideaway (which really wasn't too terribly secret since everyone could _see_ an ominous mountain surrounded by thunder, lightning and rain almost constantly) to receive the nitroglycerin crystals from Talon and Repton armada. She thought she would have strength in numbers, but she wasn't counting on the Storm Hawks having a new recruit in their ranks.

Alba was a sharpshooter, thanks to Stork's training and what she had learned from her obstacle course earlier. She had been able to catch Ravess off guard and grab one of the crystals before it fell to the ground. The people below were still scrambling to ditches, or any low area where they would be safe from the melee occurring above in the skies. Ravess had been knocked into her brother Snipe's vehicle. It had become wobbly and started veering off course. The other Reptons and Talons had to watch the erratic flight pattern of Snipe's transport or they too would be hurtling toward the ground as well.

_Crash_ ! With a sound louder than the most raucous boom of thunder heard in history, Snipe came spiraling down before realizing a nitroglycerin crystal had lodged itself in his engine.

"Oh, crud !", he thought to himself and leapt from it before it exploded. Ravess was safe, but as soon as she woke up, she was about to give him an earful of insults for his incompetence. Alba cringed as she saw the Cyclonian land harshly, but at least her brother had broken her fall. She didn't like to see anyone harmed, whether it was an enemy or a friend. Below, she thought she saw someone familiar, who wasn't running, but fending for himself.

"Crow ?", she thought as she saw him take aim from below and knock a Cyclonian off of his transport. He was quite the sharpshooter himself but made certain the enemy was only slightly knocked out and not hurt too terribly badly. She wondered how he made it to this village and why he was living here now. She would receive the answers to her questions later, but for now, the battle raged on.

Chapter 5—Surrender

After the Cyclonians had been forced back away from the village, Master Cyclonis called them off. She thought it was pointless to continue the mission for the nitroglycerin crystals. Other, more powerful crystals could be found in the future, and she needed to conserve her special squadrons' talents for the time being. A bigger battle would come in the future and she would wait for the opportune time to attack once more. Her second in command, Dark Ace, was reluctant to accept this plan, but he realized she was right. He also wanted to speak of his devotion to her but knew it wasn't the time or place to be doing so now, or he'd lose his tough-guy reputation with the rest of the Talons. Keeping his thoughts secret, he planned on surprising his beautiful Cyclonia with mysterious flowers and gifts until she realized he was the one leaving them for her all along.

The villagers slowly came out of hiding and thanked the Storm Hawks. They seemed to forget that Crow had been helping them cause the Cyclonians to flee, but that was no matter to Crow. He was a rather easy-going Merb, with no real intentions on being congratulated. He was just pleased the whole melee was over and done with, but more importantly, he was overjoyed to see his friend Alba again. He rushed toward her and hugged her immediately. The embrace took Alba by surprise and she couldn't help but blush. It was apparent she was turning red; thanks to her white fur everyone could see the flush in her cheeks.

"How did you know I would be here ?", Alba asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow, her blue orbs sparkling brilliantly in the sun.

"I followed that light musky scent of yours. It's unmistakable, and irresistible. I had to follow it here. I had no idea it would lead me to this village. But I could hear you singing, even from miles away…", Crow said, running his fingers through Alba's hair. Alba sighed happily and realized she hadn't been this elated for ages. The last time she had felt this way was when she had started inventing. That sensation always gave her ecstasy, but nothing could compare to the ember glow she had within her heart at this moment. It was apparent, she was in love.

"You must have sonar-like hearing…A very exceptional talent to possess.", Alba said, stroking his hand. He lowered his golden eyes for a moment, taken slightly aback by her truthful compliment. Then, he did something even more unexpected. He bent forward and kissed her lovingly on the lips.

"Something to remember me by, sweet Alba. I hope I see you again. Until we meet, you shall remain within my heart, and I only hope I have the honor of being the one who will court you.", Crow said, being poetic as ever. Stork chuckled from the group and had been watching the romantic interlude as well as the others.

"It seems my baby girl is all grown up.", he said, his voice crackling slightly with a hint of sorrow mixed with joy.

"I'll always be your daughter, Stork. That won't change. I just hope that you approve of Crow…", Alba said, with a slight blush, idly kicking around some turf bashfully.

"I see and feel in him much honor. I know he will be a good suitor, in time. But don't rush…Love is like a garden. It takes time to cultivate the seeds, and watch them flourish.", Stork said, sounding like a philosopher of old.

"Dude, I never knew you had a romantic bone within your body.", Finn said, punching Stork in the arm playfully.

"We Merbs are mysterious…all of us unique.", Stork said, with a grin.

"You can say that again.", Piper added, with a wink as an inside joke to Stork, and only _he_ understood exactly why she had winked at him so flirtatiously.

Chapter 6—Another Recruit

Without fail, later that day, Alba finished her trials without even breaking a sweat. She had beaten every challenge with no trouble whatsoever. At that exact moment, there was a great cheer and the remainder of the Hawks coming in with Crow.

"So, _you _were the one knocking those Talons out of the sky ? That was awesome, dude !", Junko said, slapping Crow's hand in a friendly gesture of welcome and acknowledgement. Crow considered himself a rather strong Merb, but the Wallop's high-five had caused his palm to tingle slightly.

"Yes…I only did so to protect Alba.", Crow said, blushing lightly. His blush was not so easily visible except to those standing closest to him.

"You were absolutely unbelievable.", Finn complimenting.

"I suppose you would like to join our little band ?", Aerrow stated, wondering exactly why Junko, Finn and Radaar had taken so quickly to him.

"Well, actually sir, I would. Couldn't you always use another sharp-shooter ?", Crow asked honestly. Piper was actually pleased that the crew had been evened out a bit with a new female recruit and wondered what another male would do to the mix. Granted it would be rough sailing in the first few days, but eventually, they would grow closer together and learn how to adapt to one another.

"You will have to go through training first. Mind you, my boy, I will be watching you like a hawk.", Stork said, narrowing his eyes.

"But I thought you approved of me !", Crow said, a bit peeved.

"I do, I just want to test your mettle.", Stork said with a bit of a sneaky smirk.

Stork was really quite impressed with how Crow faired in the obstacle course and marveled at his shooting abilities in the training area. He didn't miss one target, and hit them within milliseconds of their appearance. It seemed that he had trained himself and had become quite skilled in that as well as hand-to-hand combat. He supposed that as a traveler, Crow had to prepare himself for anything. On the outside, he was a laid-back, easygoing Merb, with a stellar sense of humor, but inwardly, he knew when to attack and how to defend others. Stork knew he was just being a typical overprotective dad. He couldn't help it, after all, he loved his little surrogate daughter and he always would.

Chapter 7—Tetras and Nitroglycerin Crystals

Snipe's battleship had to be rebuilt since the incident with Tynki so long ago. Snipe was aggravated by remembering that occurrence and blamed the whole thing on the incompetence of the Talons that had helped him build the gargantuan dirigible from the ground up. This time, he had a better team, one that was more organized, and much to his disgust, his sister Ravess had taken responsibility for it.

"We will use this mechanical drill to excavate for tetras crystals as well as nitroglycerin ones. Here in this area, Terra Sierra, we should be close to finding a glut of them.", Ravess said, almost tasting victory. She could see it now, claiming Dark Ace's status as second in command.

The sensation was almost too sweet to bear in her mind's eye, but she shook off the notion when one of the Talons pointed out that the Storm Hawks had located them once again.

"This time, I will not be the one fighting. Cyclonia can handle them by herself. We have crystals to mine !", Ravess said as she whipped her servants back into shape and watched them grunt, groan and sweat with sadistic satisfaction.

"They're after crystals again…Oh, no. This is horrible.", Piper said, with shock in her tone.

"What do you mean by that ?", Stork questioned, his left eye twitching somewhat. He didn't need for his paranoia to be assisted at this time.

"They're looking for tetras crystals too. Combined with the nitros, the two have enough explosive power to break whole mountains into rubble. Whole cities could be demolished…If Cyclonis gets them, then…", Piper said, beginning to breathe shallowly.

"We won't allow that. I think we will have to split up into 2 different groups. The muscle will go with me, you girls and the others will deal with Cyclonis.", Aerrow said, and the group nodded. They realized it would be a challenging fight on both sides, but these crystals had to be destroyed, and Piper had the answer, Null Crystals. She had found these unusual and rare crystals on a trip to a local dump where a mechanic repaired the damage to the_ Condor_ and also the dents in the skids. They were light blue in color and had the ability to make any crystal worthless, converting the power into something more positive, like energy. They could use that for the crystal converter later, the fuel was running a bit low as of late.

While Aerrow, Radaar, Junko and Finn were battling the Talons head on to nix the mining operation, Piper, Alba, Crow and Stork were off to Terra Cyclonia to face the Master of darkness herself. Mysteriously, Starling had joined the gang once again, no word as to why, or to how she knew about the battle to come, but it likely she had a score to settle with Cyclonis. None of the others truly understood why Starling wanted to see the Master dead, but some pasts were better left obscured by the darkness.

While the guys had their hands full with the Reptons and Talons using the Null Crystals that Piper had entrusted to him and the others, she was busy fighting off Dark Ace and Starling was dealing with the Master all alone. Alba was a bit busy helping Piper, while Stork stood back, not wanting to get involved in any direct confrontation. Stork wasn't one for hand-to-hand combat of violence, but once Dark Ace started threatening Alba, the figurative gloves had been dealt away with.

"Still holding a grudge about what happened to mom and dad?", Cyclonis questioned with a demonic sneer.

"I'll never forgive you…You murdered them, _and_ Jay !", Starling growled, swinging a numchuck sword dangerously close to Cyclonis' neck.

"I had no choice. They were in my way of getting what I wanted. They never approved of my love for the dark arts…And sometimes to make progress, violence must be enacted…", Cyclonis said, rather flippantly, a wolf-like smirk on her face. Her amethyst eyes sparkled with malice, not tainted by any other emotion than wrath.

"You can't deny it though, sister ! You can't kill me, the last reminder of any salvation you ever possessed !", Starling said, as their weapons clanged against each others. Cyclonis zapped her sister with a powerful lightning attack, sending her flying against the wall.

"And you can't kill me…Even if I held your life by a thread.", Cyclonis stated, with a hint of twisted satisfaction. However, Master Cyclonis was wrong. Starling's want for vengeance was stronger than the blood ties uniting them. They might've been sisters, but Starling had long since disowned her wicked sibling long ago after the murders of her mother, father and younger brother.

With one swift movement of her crescent blade, the life's blood of Master Cyclonis was drained. It was a quick, painless death. She slumped to the floor, lifeless.

"I'm sorry, sister, but it had to be done. At least now my family's honor is restored.", Starling said, with some tears in her eyes. She thought she heard Cyclonis thank her before her throat was slit, but again, it could've been the wind. One thing was certain, she had been a worthy opponent, and she would be given a heroine's burial despite her past.

Dark Ace hadn't known the object of his affection had been slain. He had thrown both Piper and Alba aside as if they were rag dolls when he saw her lifeless body on the onyx marble floor.

"Cyclonis…no.", he said in a hushed tone, his eyes filling with tears. He knelt down beside her and took her icy hand to his face. The rigor mortis had already set in, but he had gotten some semblance of comfort from that chilly touch. Using the spear Cyclonis had wielded in battle, he impaled himself, and fell lifeless to the ground beside her. This battle had come to an end, and the 3 of them would bury the two that had recently been defeated.

Chapter 8—The Restoration of Atmos

The tetras and nitroglycerin crystals had been reduced to fuel with the aid of the Null Crystal for countless skimmers, fliers, and bigger airborne transports, much like the _Condor_. The _Condor_ herself had enough fuel to keep her flying for years. The remnant of the Talons had been reduced to only a fraction of what they had originally been. It wasn't certain whether they would regroup (albeit they were scattered about the wastelands), at least they were few and far in number, so they wouldn't be a threat to Atmos being rebuilt from the ground up.

Atmos was becoming what it once was before Cyclonia had risen to power. The tower in Cyclonia, and Terra Cyclonia itself were nothing more but locations on the map. They didn't have their terrifying presence gripping every Atmosian by the throat. Atmosians could live more comfortably now, without constant fear above their heads. They even held a parade for the heroes that had been responsible for restoring Atmos as a whole. The Hawks weren't the only ones that had been responsible for Atmos returning to its pristine state. Others, such as the Terra Rex, and even the Absolute Zeros, assisted as well. The initial restructuring of all of the Terras took many months, and at the time it was complete, life could resume a semblance of normalcy. Starling had decided to join the Storm Hawks as a permanent member from this point forward instead of remaining a lone wolf as a "freedom fighter". She found it much more logical to fight with others than to do so by herself. Her burdens had been lifted, and she knew she had been forgiven for having killed someone. She had a dream about her sister before her descent into madness and felt a sense of serenity that she and her beloved where in a better place now. At least the guilt had been washed away, and hopefully she wouldn't have to kill again, but she knew she was forgiven and that was all that mattered.

Epilogue 

Piper was welcome to having another female in the ranks of the Storm Hawks. At least now, the numbers were fairly even between male and female. She was also impressed with how Alba had grown over the coming months. It seemed like only yesterday they had found her at their hangar door all cold, alone and vulnerable. Looking at her now, she never would've dreamed she would become such a strong and capable woman, but she knew that the entire Hawk team was responsible for making that a reality.

Although evil was present, its presence was far less felt in the newly reborn Atmos that had taken years to refurbish. All of this had been arduous work and steady, strict planning, but it had been worth it in the end. There had been celebrating, and children could live peacefully no matter what Terra they originated from. Crow and Alba were now old enough to possibly think about settling down after years of courting, but they would still be Hawks despite the fact that they would be husband and wife. Even if children came into the mix, they would be taught the ways and methods of the Storm Hawks. After all, the future was in the hands of the little ones who would someday become the heroes that would keep Atmos free from oppression.

The End


End file.
